


Next To You

by NotSoHotsuin



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, daichi is hot and he wants hibiki to solve it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-02 00:34:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10933281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotSoHotsuin/pseuds/NotSoHotsuin
Summary: It's hot out.Daichi tries his best not to think about Hibiki.





	1. Confession

The sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling could be heard from outside. Sunlight poured in through an opening in a familiar set of curtains, enveloping the room in an orange glow. The harsh rays of light made the dust particles visible to the naked eye. One look at how messy it was made Daichi cringe.

 

“Someone should really clean this place...” It was not going to be him though.

 

Daichi curled up, and pulled the covers over his face to hide in darkness. Summer was already here, and he had not fulfilled his promise to Hibiki yet. They were supposed to take a road trip somewhere when he got his license, but there was a huge amount of planning that had to go into a travel outside of Tokyo, and he was not sure if he was capable of pulling something like that off. Checking hotels, beaches, and nearby restaurants was a lot of work; not to mention how much gas would cost, as well as the trip itself. He didn’t want to think about that now. All he wanted was some sleep.

The heat was insufferable, and the fact his windows were damaged made it impossible to let the fresh air pour in. Instead, he had to soak under the covers, and attempt to catch whatever little bit of rest he could manage in this obnoxious brightness. He scrunched up his face and whined; his arms gripped his pillow hard and dragged it down to his chest.

 

The burning sensation around his eyes only got worse when he tried to keep them open. For how hot it was in his room, his bed felt strangely cold. Hibiki used to lie down next to him during sleepovers, which made the atmosphere feel less lonely. His mother went to work early, and so did his father. That explained the painful silence in their apartment, and why the only noise he could hear was that of his own breathing. Hibiki would always take the spot closer to the wall, which meant he had to climb over Daichi every time he planned on getting up during the night.

Daichi didn’t mind. He often fell asleep much later than Hibiki and was awake to hear him navigate the room. Hibiki wouldn’t know, but Daichi always rolled over to his side for a while whenever he left the bed. The warmth from his friend’s body helped him sleep. The memories of how often they’d spent time together in this small bed was heartwarmingly nostalgic.

 

Daichi ran his hand over the empty space, softly rubbing his fingertips over the surface. He let his mind wander and pretend Hibiki was actually lying down next to him, sleeping. What would happen if he touched Hibiki’s hand when he was asleep? How about his cheek? Or his hair? He probably wouldn’t mind, but Daichi couldn’t risk it. All he allowed himself to enjoy were small fragments of fantasy he came up with at the spot. How Hibiki would smile his way, how he would nuzzle his neck, or how it would feel like to kiss him on the lips for once.

He didn’t allow himself get further than that. If he indulged and let himself do as he wished, he wouldn’t be able to look Hibiki in the eye. He was not going to imagine what it would feel like to have Hibiki touch him, or how it would feel to have Hibiki’s breath on his neck. Those thoughts were only going to turn the heat up in the room, and that was the last thing he needed right now.

 

Friendship was once a word that made him extremely happy. Nowadays, it only reminded him of a set of boundaries. It was not a sea of possibilities for fun anymore, it was a line he shouldn’t cross. His arm squeezed the pillow tighter, trying to shake the negative emotions out of his head.

Hibiki liked him. They were friends. Not just friends, but best friends. That was enough. It needed to be enough. Telling himself these things over and over again was the only way to keep himself satisfied with the way things were, because changing things meant risking failure. Thinking like this was to stop himself from holding Hibiki’s hand in public for longer than necessary. So that he wouldn’t imagine they were on a date when they were just hanging out. So that he could stop thinking about how good it would feel to finally kiss him.

 

He kicked the covers off and rolled over on his back, taking long, drawn-out breaths to fill his lungs with air. Still cradling a pillow in his arms, he stretched to reach out for his phone that had slid to the corner of his bed. He couldn’t take another second alone in this apartment. It was starting to feel more like a desert the longer he tossed and turned. His thumb scrolled down the contact list until he reached Hibiki, and so he pressed the call button. He closed his eyes and took some mercy on his pillow, letting his arm rest on it rather than crush it. He breathed in and out, thinking he would sound less torn if he cleared his voice a little. Instead, he just ended up sounding winded.

 

“Daichi?” The call got accepted without Daichi noticing. He wanted to complain about how Hibiki should stop sneaking up on him even during calls, but there was not enough energy in him to force such a sentence. He hummed lightly; trying to come up with some meaningless chatter before placing his request so he would look less desperate. That was what he would have done if he had the stamina for it. Sadly, he got right to the point.

 

“Um, yeah, hi. Can you come over?” The aching feeling in his chest usually subsided when Hibiki spent some time with him. His throat felt more hoarse than ever, and he could almost feel Hibiki recoil at the sound of his voice.

“Is everything okay? You sound… different.”

“Ah, you know how it is. Window’s broke. Shitty air conditioner doesn’t work either. The usual stuff.” That was really all the information he needed.

“Alright, I’m on my way. I’ll text you when I get there.”

“W-wait!” He knew he spoke too loudly when he heard the room give off a faint echo. Hibiki moved the phone away from his ear slightly out of reflex.

“What’s wrong?” Daichi bit his lower lip to calm his nerves.

“...Could you stay on the line for a bit? If you have something you want to tell me, now would be a good time.” The silence was bothersome, and waiting for Hibiki was still going to leave him with at least 30 full minutes to spend enveloped in that same silence. He wished he could explain it but the words were not coming out. Fortunately, there was not a lot of disagreement with that arrangement.

“Sure.” Daichi swore he could feel Hibiki smile through the phone. Either that or he was starting to lose his mind from the scorching weather. Judging by the sound coming from the other line, it seemed Hibiki had already boarded a train.

“I met Aya today. You know, the girl from our class that you had a thing for back in Junior High?” Daichi remembered, but he barely cared. Hibiki talked about Aya and what she told him when they bumped into each other, but Daichi was focused on the way Hibiki spoke rather than what was being said. The way he would hum when there was something he was trying to remember, or the way he would chuckle at the end of a question. It felt strange to derive so much pleasure from something so simple. Especially since Hibiki had no idea.

 

Daichi smiled when he heard Hibiki sigh. It was a clear tell when he wanted to get something frustrating off his chest. He started speaking somewhat negatively of his experience with Aya while the faint sound of a subway station acted as background noise. Hibiki’s voice was soothing. Daichi could tell what expression Hibiki wore based on his vocal cues, and with his eyes closed, it felt like he was right there in the room with him. That one single thought unlocked so much more from his subconscious and gradually pulled his mind down deeper to discover every other suppressed thought.

He wondered if Hibiki’s lips were as good at kissing as they were talking; if he would ever move those slender hands underneath his shirt and touch his bare skin. He wondered how it would feel like to be kissed around his neck, his chest, and his inner thigh, and if Hibiki would let him do the same to him in return. His hand gently set the pillow aside so he could place his palm over his stomach and pull his shirt up. The room suddenly felt much hotter than it originally was. He grabbed the edge of his shirt and used the stretchy fabric as a fan to cool off.

 

Hibiki spoke so softly, almost as if he was uncertain about something. Daichi was not even vaguely picking up the words anymore. Words were meaningless. He moved his hand over his stomach and chest, fingers digging into pale skin somewhat impatiently. Hearing Hibiki hum and sigh into his ear helped guide his hand lower. He let go of his phone and angled it in a way that would allow him to keep listening. A shaky breath escaped his lips when both his hands carefully circled his hips, fingers prodding at the rim of his pants. It was not fair. He arched his back and pressed his cheek against the covers as hard as he could. His shoulders felt tense, his body ached, and when his hands finally dared go lower, he almost let out a high pitched plea.

To stop himself from making any sudden noises, he let his fingers dig into the pillow by his side like claws. It was not enough. A part of Daichi felt horribly guilty, but the other was forcing his fist in front of his lips as an emergency mute option. He bit into the joint near his index finger and adjusted his legs. Uncomfortable. Bad thoughts. _Stop thinking. This was taking things too far._

 

“Daichi…”

“A-ah, yeah?”

“You’re breathing a little funny. Are you sure everything’s fine?” Had he not started the conversation feeling absolutely drained, he would have worried about how he was coming across. Fortunately, Hibiki already knew he was out of breath, so adding sexual frustration to the mix wouldn’t make much of a difference. There just wasn’t any air left in the apartment, and stepping outside for air meant getting out of bed. Getting out of bed also meant trying not to trip over his own feet from fatigue. So, no. Everything was not fine. Being turned on as well was a setback but that was something Hibiki could live without knowing.

“You’d be breathing funny too if you were living in a microwave.”

“Step outside for a moment until I get there.”

“...Can’t.” There was nothing but the noise of announcements and people communicating in the background for a while. Hibiki opened his mouth to speak, but closed it and furrowed his brows slightly.

“What do you mean ‘can’t’?” Daichi really wished he could explain it, but forming words and building sentences took too much brainpower and effort right now. Everything was a blur.

“It’d make more sense if you could see me…” Hibiki gave the idea some thought.

“Paint me a picture.”

“...W-what?”

“You said you wanted me to see what you look like. So. Tell me what you look like.” Daichi’s hand trembled slightly. He only ever imagined this scenario in a lewd fantasy and was not willing to act it out in reality. At least not yet. Not like this. Especially not when he almost did something unforgivable over a perfectly casual phone call.

“Dude, no way! My hair's a mess and my face is a mess. I already ruined my best shirt in this heat and I don’t plan to ruin my best friendship, too.”

“Got it.” The most terrifying sentence during this entire conversation was hearing Hibiki confirm what had been said.

“Wait, what?”

“Your hair is messy, so you're probably still in bed. You wore your best shirt yesterday when we were at the cinema, which means you didn’t change before going to sleep last night. You’re also suffering from the heat so your face is probably flushed red. Thanks for telling me.” Hibiki was waiting for a reaction, but all Daichi had done was squeeze his phone tighter. He should have known revealing any information could give Hibiki a good idea of what happened the night before.

 

“I-I…” Stuttering was a curse. “Man, you have no chill.” Chill sounded good. Chill sounded lovely. If the fridge wasn't so far away he’d have opened it and shoved his entire head into it just to remember what cold feels like. Hibiki laughed, proud to have made Daichi flustered.

 

“If it’s any comfort, I could tell you what I’m wearing.” Daichi wanted to say no, but that was a knee-jerk reaction. If Hibiki didn't mind telling him, then he had no reason to feel embarrassed about it. That embarrassment would hit later, when his mind started to spin the information to mean something different.

 

“You said it, not me. Shoot.” He could curse himself out later for fueling the fire.

“Hmm, for starters, I’m wearing the turquoise checkered shirt you helped me pick out a week or two ago,” Daichi remembered that shirt. It was the devil’s work. He spent a whole week trying not to remember, but the image was etched into his memory. Hibiki caught him staring at it and decided to try it on. The reason Daichi was staring at it in the first place was because the fabric looked so thin it appeared to be see-through. Hibiki proved him right when he tried it on. It was not completely obvious, but he could see a good amount of skin from the V-shaped neckline, and when the light hit the fabric from the right angle he could see _literally everything else._

 

“I still can’t believe you bought that monstrosity…”

“I like the attention I get in it.” Daichi’s words got stuck in his throat. For a moment, it almost sounded like Hibiki bought it just because he couldn't stop staring at him once he tried it on. He shook his head, which only made him dizzy. No, it must have been his imagination, or a coincidence.

 

“Ah, right. Normal jeans. Not my best pair. They’re kind of old.” Considering Hibiki really only had two pairs of jeans, he knew exactly which ones he was talking about. The oldest pair he owned were tighter around his thighs, and helped outline his muscles. Daichi wanted to scream, but that would involve raising his voice and he lacked the vocal chords to do so. He exhaled, pretending he was not thinking about running his hands up those thighs just to undo his belt and rip those pants right off. A muffled whine was audible through the phone line, and Hibiki questioned just what could be taking place in Daichi’s apartment to get him this unsettled.

“You okay?”

“Ah… yeah…” Hibiki paused to focus more on Daichi’s voice. He did most of the talking during the call, but taking some time to be silent helped him read into Daichi’s situation. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell what it was that was making his friend murmur as if he were in pain. Daichi sounded weaker, almost as if he was struggling to speak.

“I-It’s just hot… and kinda hard to breathe.”

“Don’t worry,” Hibiki placed his hand at the head of an empty seat to steady his balance during the bumpy ride. “-I’m almost there.” Almost was not going to cut it. Then again, speaking to Hibiki like this was helping calm his nerves. He laughed. He actually managed to laugh through this agonizing feeling that resembled hell-fire. His entire body was overheating, and he was certain part of it was thanks to Hibiki. His voice, his warmth and his physique helped trigger some very questionable images in his head. These were such inappropriate thoughts, but what was worse than having those thoughts was knowing that he would never get the chance to act upon them. He adjusted his legs again and furrowed his brows. _Stop. Stop wanting this. Stop begging for it._ He almost cursed himself out loud. He hated this. He hated having to hide it.

“H-hey, Hibiki-” His throat was already dry and torn from this drawn out conversation, but he had to ask one thing. One more thing before he lost the ability to speak, and most importantly- before he changed his mind.

 

“-If I told you that you’re the most important person in my life. Would you believe me?” It was hard to tell what was going to come out of this. Hibiki paused sometimes, but never for this long, and never without some kind of hint as to what he was thinking. Hibiki’s fingers curled around the train-seat’s frame before his eyes averted to stare at the floor. Hibiki could tell Daichi was trying to hold the phone away from his lips so he did not breathe into the microphone too loudly. Something felt wrong, and it was making him uneasy.

“I’d like that a lot.” It was the only reply he could give that would not fully answer Daichi’s question. Daichi had not moved his phone away from his mouth to hush his breathing as Hibiki had first thought. It was only after he replied that he figured out why Daichi was trying to be silent. In the vaguest whisper, he heard him murmur something to himself that shouldn’t have been picked up by his phone.

 

_“I wish I could believe you.”_

  
The call dropped.


	2. Chapter 2

Daichi regretted not charging his phone the night before. It frustrated him to know the conversation had to be cut, but he saw it as a sign for the better. Who knows where they would have ended up after that talk. It was not as if Hibiki was casually going to return to talking about Aya again.

Approximately five minutes had passed since their call ended. Judging by the announcements in the background, Hibiki should be arriving in ten more minutes. He thought about the outfit Hibiki wore one more time, and felt a searing heat take over his entire face. He dragged both palms down his cheeks before stretching and staring at his phone. Try as he might, it would not turn on even for a second to let him send a quick message. The charger was in the living room, so getting it was not happening anytime soon. Every time he got out of bed, he felt dizzy and weak. It was a strange aftereffect from the heat. He assumed it was just dehydration, but if it was that simple to get to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, he would have done so already.

A low knocking sound snapped him out of his daydreaming, and he pulled himself up to go meet Hibiki at the door. His legs had trouble carrying his weight, so he sat back down to steady himself. There was another knock at the door, one that was a little louder than the previous one. Daichi wished he could text Hibiki to use his spare key, because getting out of bed was proving to be more of a hassle than he first imagined it would be. Still, he braced himself and got back up on his feet. He stumbled a little but managed to grab onto his desk for support. At the same time, he heard the click from a set of keys, and the screech of a door opening. Daichi barely took a step outside his bedroom before two arms came to wrap around him. He smiled.

“Hey man, what’s up?” Hibiki quickly grabbed Daichi tighter with both arms when he saw how poorly he was leaning against the door-frame.

“-Sorry, my phone died. It’s been hell since the air conditioner broke down. I was hoping we could go out so I could escape this bio-hazard.” There was that same silence. Daichi had no clue why Hibiki wasn't saying anything, but he didn't find the strength to raise his head and ask.

“Uh… Daichi…” Hibiki had one hand placed on Daichi’s upper-arm while the other was cupping his cheek.

“Yeah?” Tired, half-lidded eyes looked up at Hibiki. Daichi hoped his disheveled appearance didn't come off as too off-putting; he really had no energy to change clothes or wash his face. Thanks to negligence, his hair also ended up sticking out more than usual, and the last time he looked in a mirror he could have sworn the dark circles under his eyes had only gotten darker. 

“...Are you sure your air conditioner isn't working?”

“You have to be kidding, right? Why are you asking me that?”

“Because your apartment is cold.” Hearing Hibiki say that somehow temporarily stopped time for 2 seconds. He would have laughed had Hibiki not worn a rather worried look on his face.

“A-Are you… serious? That doesn’t make sense. I feel-” Hibiki moved his hand to touch Daichi’s forehead.

“Awful? Like your body is on fire? You have a fever. I can tell.”

“...Really? A cold in the middle of summer? No, don’t give me that. That’s stupid.” Hibiki could go into how a common cold was not something one gets by being exposed to cold weather, but that was not the kind of dialogue Daichi needed right now. It was also a fight Hibiki knew he was not going to win, no matter how convincing his argument was.

“Do you have any medicine in your apartment?”

“Um, probably…? Why? Aren’t we going out?” Seeing Hibiki give him a stern expression solidified what they were doing for the rest of the day.

“Daichi, you’re sick. We’re not going anywhere.” Hibiki never usually lectured him, so seeing him make that serious expression was rare. A part of Daichi felt hesitant to admit it, but he found that look extremely attractive. It was his second favorite expression, mostly because nothing could really compare to the way Hibiki smiled. He tried to stop thinking altogether, but it didn’t seem as if his head allowed him to think about anything else right now.

“Here, let me help you,”

“I’m sick, not crippled.” He said that, but kept his arm around Hibiki until they got to the bed so he could sit down. Hibiki made a straight line towards the bathroom cabinet, trying to dig out something that would lower Daichi’s fever. He managed to find a water dissolving pill that he mixed into a cup and handed to Daichi. He tricked him into thinking it was water all up until he swallowed it. Hibiki never lied to Daichi. Except when it involved disgusting medicine. Then he lied through his teeth.

“Are you feeling okay?” Hibiki had the urge to keep their conversation going, but there was something unusual about Daichi’s posture that made him want to ask exactly why he seemed so distraught. Daichi was not giving him much to work with.  
“Uh, no… I mean, nothing unusual. Fear, failure, frustration… a lot of F’s. Feels like I’m looking at my high-school diploma.” Hibiki took a seat next to Daichi and gave him a light pat on the back.   
“Pills and rest will fix you up in no time.” That usually worked, but Daichi was not convinced.   
“It’s not the sickness… I’m not even sure what to call it? I don’t know… I feel disappointed in myself.”   
“I think that’s the fever,” Daichi furrowed his brows, getting slightly annoyed.   
“No, dude, listen. It’s not the fever. It’s just… me. It’s been like this for a while, really.” Hibiki seemed to have noticed the concern in his voice this time around, and altered his reply accordingly.

  
“Can I help?” It was so typical of him to ask that.   
“...If you could stay here with me, that’d be a great help. Just until my parents get home.”   
“Are you paranoid you’ll pass out?” Daichi could be honest with Hibiki. He trusted Hibiki with his life and more, but every cell in his body was advising him against telling Hibiki the truth. If he admitted to being lonely and needing company, it could steer the conversation elsewhere. So, he smiled, and shot finger-guns in Hibiki’s direction. Playful, but maybe a bit too exaggerated to look natural.   
  
“You got me. That’s it. Same old wimp you know since preschool.”   
“Do you even remember what you were like in preschool?”   
“Hibiki, I don’t remember yesterday. You’re lucky I remember we went to the same preschool.” Hibiki’s arm pulled Daichi closer until his head rested comfortably on Hibiki’s chest. Daichi closed his eyes and relaxed at the familiar warmth that settled around him. He leaned his head back a little to gaze up at Hibiki.   
“Just stay here for-” _Forever_ . He shook his head and closed his eyes again. He would much rather not finish that sentence truthfully. “...a bit? Can you?”   
“Sure,”   
“Thanks… I feel better already.” The way Hibiki moved his hand up and down his back in a soothing rhythm was slowly putting him to sleep. It was still hot in the room, and he had trouble breathing, but he was calmer knowing Hibiki was near.

  
“You never answered my question when I asked you.” Hibiki interrupted his daydreaming. It was not surprising to know he never answered Hibiki’s question, seeing as he tuned out words and just listened to the sound of Hibiki’s voice during their call.   
“What question?” There was another strange pause before Hibiki asked again.

“...Do you still have a thing for Aya?” _Still?_

“I’m gonna be honest, I have no idea who you’re talking about.” Daichi couldn’t tell if Hibiki was humored by the fact he had no clue of who Aya was, or if he was glad he completely forgot she existed.

“A-ya. You know, short, blue eyes, black hair,” Daichi grinned.

“You?” He could tell Hibiki wanted to smile just from the tone of his sigh, but he was also slightly offended to be called short.

“Daichi, we are 1 centimeter apart.”

“I can’t hear you from all the way up here.”

“It’s 1 centimeter!”

“Feels like 10~” He could feel Hibiki shake his head.

“Well, you’ve always been bad at math, so I can’t blame you for thinking that.” When Daichi pulled away to stare daggers at him, Hibiki finally cracked a smile. His hand came up to cup Daichi’s cheek. Daichi tried his best not to lean into it or think too much about it, but Hibiki’s hand was soft and his thumb was lightly caressing his skin; it was difficult not to indulge in the touch. He might have smiled mindlessly even if he made the extra effort to seem indifferent.

“Your face still feels warm, but you’re a little more chatty, so I think the medicine is working.” There was a cold breeze near his cheek when Hibiki retracted his hand, and the lack of warmth felt almost hollow. Daichi tried his best to put on a smile. Hibiki did not have to know why he was upset. Hibiki only touched him like this to check up on his fever, and not because he wanted to. It hurt to think so, but the more Daichi kept slamming down the hammer of truth, the easier he hoped it would be to deal with his feelings.   
  
How do you tell your best friend that you want to rip their clothes off and take them right there on the floor; that it has been an obsession and a need for some time now that was just dying to be expressed?

“You still didn’t answer my Aya question.” _For the love of GOD, Hibiki._

“I don’t even know how to pick up women. What makes you think I can hit on this Aya chick?”

“Hm… maybe Joe knows? I should give him a call.” Daichi nearly slammed Hibiki's phone out of his hands.

“No! What the heck, man!? You can’t just call Joe and ask him for advice!”   
“Why not? He has a girlfriend.”   
“A _hospitalized_ girlfriend.” Silence.   
“...Okay, maybe calling Joe is not such a good idea.”   
“Phew…” Daichi leaned back against the wooden frame of his bed and stared up at the ceiling, trying to pass the time by counting each of its little blemishes. Somewhere during the counting, he stopped to chuckle a little at a thought that crossed his mind. Hibiki seemed to have noticed it and turned to face Daichi.

“Be honest, if I got a girlfriend, you’d miss me.”  
“I do that already.” That was the last answer Daichi expected to come out of Hibiki’s mouth. He was so thankful to be able to blame his flushed face on a fever, rather than have to explain why hearing Hibiki say something like that made him extremely happy. 

“D-dude, you could have teased me a little…”  
“Alright, if you got a girlfriend, I’d be…” Hibiki was not pausing for dramatic effect, but he honestly never even entertained the idea that Daichi might end up with some girl. Hibiki’s tone sounded uncertain. “...surprised.” Daichi groaned and threw his head back to stare at the ceiling in defeat. Back to counting cracks and blemishes on the walls.   
“I said tease me, not humiliate me.” There was more silence. It was a pause Hibiki needed to go through the question again, and try to find a more accurate answer to why he felt like he never thought Daichi would end up with a girl.

  
“...Do you want a girlfriend, though?” It was an unnecessary question but Daichi replied anyways, “Doesn’t everyone?” by completely avoiding the question. “- At least I wouldn’t have to spend the day sick, all by myself.” Hibiki felt a tug near his chest and glared at Daichi with apathy in his eyes.   
“Yes, Daichi. This is you. Being by yourself.”   
“You know I didn’t mean it like that!” He did know, but it still hurt a little. “-I’m just… No, sorry, let’s not talk about this anymore.”   
“Well, we could go girlfriend-hunting when you get better.” _Please, Hibiki, stop talking._ He knew Hibiki was only trying to be supportive, but the conversation was going down a very slippery slope. Daichi looked off to the side and rolled his eyes with his arms folded across his chest.   
  
“Leave me alone.”   
“Or I could call Aya. You seem fond of people with black hair and blue eyes. I think we found your type,” There was so much that bothered Daichi about that sentence. The implications, for starters. There was a sly grin on Hibiki’s face; one Daichi did not take kindly to when it was poking fun at him. He was not amused by the joke at all. Had he not seen the truth in the statement, maybe he would have laughed, but as things were now, hearing Hibiki say it was like pouring salt into open wounds.   
  
“Funny. Real funny. Get off my back already with this stuff.” He moved his hands under his bangs to push them out of his eyes. It was done rather sloppily, so he only ended up making his hair look even frizzier. “-It’s not like it matters anyways…” Hibiki heard him mutter the sentence. Something about it didn’t feel right.

“Why do you say that?”

“I told you, get off my back about this already…” Daichi tried to flick his hair back but lacked a hairclip to keep it in position, so his bangs ended up sliding back down over his face no matter what he did. Hibiki noticed the way Daichi was halfheartedly moving his hair to the side and decided to help him. Daichi allowed him to do as he wanted; since he could not manage to get it to stay in one place either. It was still fun to see him try.

“I should really cut it off, it just gets in the way,”

“I like it. It fits you.” Hibiki cupped Daichi’s cheek with one hand and brushed his bangs back with the other. Daichi could feel the way Hibiki's fingers combed through his messy hair, giving it back some of its usual shape and volume. Their talk had reached an end, and it was something Daichi was very thankful for. Had Hibiki continued to press the issue, he probably would have ended up saying something stupid, like, let’s say; _I love you._

“You’re my most important person too, Daichi,” Time seemed to stop again. Either the fever was making him hallucinate, or Hibiki was trying to kill him. It could not be right. It did not sound right. The words passed by so quickly that Daichi was convinced it was all in his head.

Hibiki’s fingers burned against his skin. Had it been anyone else, the touch would have probably been unpleasant. Instead, he let Hibiki move his fingers over his cheeks until he could feel a thumb press lightly against his lower-lip. It was Hibiki’s fault he kept thinking something else was going on than simple friendly touches. Who placed their hands on another person’s lips without the intention of kissing?

“D-dude, can you not-”

“Not what?” If he had the energy, he would scold Hibiki for pretending not to know what he was doing.

“Touch me like that? Can you stop?” He never would have asked Hibiki to stop if he wasn’t already trying to tackle some very frustrating delusions about their relationship. The sensual touching was only a hindrance, even if it wasn’t too unusual. The tone of Daichi’s request made Hibiki look at him with curious eyes.

“...Why? Did I do something wrong? I thought you didn't mind this?”

“Man, you ask some really hard questions, um…” Talking while feeling Hibiki’s hand placed on his face was very distracting.

“Daichi?”

“I-If you keep doing that… I’ll-” Hibiki gently ran his thumb along Daichi’s lower-lip with no intention of moving away. Daichi tried to ignore how he wanted to kiss each of Hibiki’s fingertips one by one. He breathed out slowly; The action made Hibiki lean closer to let his other fingers trace lines over Daichi’s lips. This was it. Game over.

“I’ll bite you, Hibiki, I swear to God-!”

“Your lips are cracked. What did you do?”

“Bite them. Like I’ll bite you.” Hibiki was sensing a lot of aggression, but was not exactly sure where it was coming from, or why it was directed at him. However, he met it with a calm demeanor.

“I’ll take the risk.” Hibiki’s fingers gently moved a few loose strands of hair back behind Daichi’s ears before pushing his bangs out of his eyes yet again. Daichi could tell Hibiki it was useless to try and tame his wild hair, but he did not want him to give up trying. Not when it felt so good. Hibiki’s fingers combed through brown, tangled locks in a almost playful way. Daichi felt a strange feeling near his abdomen, and prayed that Hibiki would stop placing his hands all over him.

 

“This is so unfair…” It was hard to think straight when his body felt as if it was on fire. His breathing was still uneven, and only got more erratic as time progressed. Each of Hibiki’s touches felt so lovely, but they were accompanied by a bitter aftershock. Daichi knew Hibiki was probably only checking his temperature, even if he took a lot of liberties with it. He closed his eyes when he felt Hibiki’s fingers around his lips again and furrowed his brows slightly. His breathing was never going to pace itself if all he could think about was where he wanted Hibiki’s hands to touch him. The desire to kiss Hibiki and tell him the truth was only looking more and more appealing by each gesture. When both of Hibiki’s hands caressed his cheeks, he felt his defenses collapse, and a small whine escaped his throat in the form of a request.

“Please stop…” He felt guilty for taking pleasure in this. Hibiki was not helping it by keeping his hands in place. Whenever he thought back to the phone call and what he almost did, he wanted to apologize for even thinking of Hibiki in that way. Then he remembered all the other times he had thought of Hibiki to help himself release some tension. It was not the first time he tried to take pleasure from these actions. Remembering those things right now was making him feel like a terrible person. There was no way he could confess to something so embarrassing.

“Please…” He knew his voice cracked through his breathing, but he hoped Hibiki could understand what he was saying. It didn’t surprise him that Hibiki didn’t listen. His voice sounded so unconvincing. “Hibiki, please… just stop,” What he really wanted to say was far from the word ‘stop’ but he had to keep his feelings in check not to wreck their friendship by making things weird. The pained expression Daichi wore helped Hibiki come to his senses and realize he was not joking around. This type of teasing was not uncommon in their relationship, so it was hard to tell where to draw the line. When he realized his mistake, he put some distance between them.

“Daichi,” Hibiki moved his fingers down Daichi’s neck, trying to coax him into locking eyes. Unfortunately, Daichi seemed persistent on avoiding eye-contact.

“You’re really important to me,” Daichi had heard that line before. In his opinion, the sentence seemed so unfinished. His reply came on impulse.

“...Is that all?” There was a small pause before Hibiki replied.

“Do you need something more?”

“Would you be upset if i-”

“No.”

“You didn’t let me finish.”

“You don’t have to finish.” Daichi only let their eyes meet briefly before he moved his hand to hold Hibiki's in his own. Out of all the ways he imagined to confess, this was not one of them. Although, in fairness, had he not been pushed so far to the edge already, he probably would not have told him for another few months. It took a 40 degree fever to get him to place a soft kiss on Hibiki’s fingers. Daichi was aware that his lips were cracked, and that it most likely felt like sandpaper, but it was the only gesture he could do to get his message across. When Hibiki felt Daichi’s grip loosen a bit, he smiled and gently moved the back of his fingers over Daichi’s lips on his own to initiate another kiss.

“Is that all?” Hibiki’s question mimicked Daichi’s, but it was clear he used it to push him forward, rather than expect an answer in return. Daichi was not sure if Hibiki was completely aware of what it was he wanted, but he did not seem to object to the touch, so it helped ease his worries.

“It’s all I can do. I’m not feeling too well right now,” Daichi put some distance between them to lie down on his back. All this talking and touching was starting to make him lightheaded.

“Hm… That’s a shame…” Hibiki lied down next to him to keep him company. His arms wrapped around Daichi’s form like a blanket, and Daichi softly let his fingers intertwine with Hibiki’s out of habit. If it was not for the cold, this would feel like any normal day.

 

“I should rent you to other people. You make a great futon.”

“Daichi, sleep.”

“Futons don’t talk.” Daichi grinned when he felt Hibiki punch his arm slightly. It definitely felt like a regular day now, aside from the kiss. Daichi was still unsure if Hibiki understood what he was trying to say, but that would be tomorrow’s problem. Right now, he focused on falling asleep to the touch of Hibiki’s hand on his own.


End file.
